Lee Hoyang, a prolific South Korean pop music producer and songwriter known professionally as Shinsadong Tiger who helped create some of the biggest K-pop hits of the 2010s, died in Seoul on Friday. He was 40 years old.
His management agency confirmed his death in a statement. He did not mention the cause of death but said a private funeral was being held in Seoul. The agency, TR Entertainment, did not respond to an emailed request for comment. A Seoul police detective also confirmed Mr. Lee’s death, but did not reveal further details.
Mr. Lee is often credited with shaping the musical style that defined K-pop in the early 2010s: catchy, upbeat and repetitive with a strong hook. He produced many commercially successful songs throughout the decade, mainly for young artists. Among the hits are “Roly-Poly” and “Bo Peep Bo Peep,” both by T-ara; “NoNoNo” by Apink; and “Bubble Pop!” by HyunA.
“He created an exciting, funky, groovy K-pop style that continues to repeat itself over and over again,” said Do Heon Kim, a pop music critic in South Korea. “There is no place where her influence has not been felt.”
Mr. Lee was born on June 3, 1983 in Pohang, a city on the southeastern coast of South Korea. With no formal music education, he immersed himself in music since high school, when he played in a band and remixed songs with his friends, he said in an interview in 2011.
He debuted as a songwriter in 2004, when he produced a song called “Man and Woman” for the South Korean pop band Jadu, he said. The song, which had a Brazilian bossa nova pulse, was released in 2005.
Lee’s career suffered a crisis in the late 2010s when his music became seen as increasingly repetitive and he faced accusations of plagiarism, which he denied, Kim said. The songwriter focused more of his energy on producing and helped form the girl groups EXID, which debuted in 2012, and Tri.be, which debuted in 2021.
Jin Yu Young contributed with reports.